<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>New World Coming by OtakuAme, thalia_muse_of_comedy</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25194964">New World Coming</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/OtakuAme/pseuds/OtakuAme'>OtakuAme</a>, <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/thalia_muse_of_comedy/pseuds/thalia_muse_of_comedy'>thalia_muse_of_comedy</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>New World Coming [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Haikyuu!!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, F/M, Government Experimentation, M/M, we wrote this before bnha took off don’t judge us, yes we included the 2nd years</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 04:35:06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>13,723</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25194964</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/OtakuAme/pseuds/OtakuAme, https://archiveofourown.org/users/thalia_muse_of_comedy/pseuds/thalia_muse_of_comedy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After an incident at the government research facility in Tokyo, Hinata is transferred to the Karasuno Research Facility. There, he finds new problems and new freedoms as he and others like him navigate a world where the existence of super-powered beings is illegal.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Azumane Asahi/Nishinoya Yuu, Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio, Sawamura Daichi/Sugawara Koushi, Tsukishima Kei &amp; Yamaguchi Tadashi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>New World Coming [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/395899</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>44</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Ame and I plotted this exactly four years ago, and to be honest, I thought we would never get around to really starting it. Thank you to the readers that have stuck with us as we have set the stage for this epic. If you have not read the other fics in this series, including Caught in the Storm, please consider reading them before this as they provide context for characters’ pasts and relationships</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>     As Kiyoko Shimizu walked down the fluorescent lit corridors of Karasuno, she could hear only the sounds of her footsteps and the faint hum of electricity within the lights. This meant at least two things: </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>One: Yamaguchi was NOT running through the facility causing excitement and havoc in his wake.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>Two: the team that had brought the newest child had finally left after signing over his custody to Ukai.  For better or worse, the star child was in their care. While he did pose unique challenges for the small facility of Karasuno, Kiyoko was sure that their branch of SECT was best equipped for handling a volatile teenager. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>When she had greeted the red-head, he looked as broken as abnormals all did when they passed into her care. He had been sluggish and mostly unable to walk unassisted, perhaps due to the sedative  and the years of confinement. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>As she passed Yamaguchi’s room, she peered in through the observation window to confirm what she already knew. Yamaguchi’s messy bunk sat unmade and unoccupied. She would have to scold him again for leaving his room when they were on a lockdown. The gods knew what would happen if he got caught roaming while people from outside of Karasuno were present. The pocket of peace they had here relied on the rest of SECT’s ignorance.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>She crossed the hall to have a peek into Kageyama’s room, but it was useless. An impenetrable darkness coated the room, rendering observation impossible. Kiyoko gave a quick triple knock against the door, but she knew Kageyama wouldn’t respond to her small hello. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>Next door, Narita’s door was cold to the touch, and Narita was stretching next to the well made bed. He lifted his head as he shifted into his next stretch, his breath visible as he exhaled. He noticed Kiyoko watching him; he waved and gestured toward the door. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>Kiyoko shook her head. She didn’t have time to spend getting wrapped up in Narita trying to weasel gossip out of her. She waved a little goodbye to him, and moved on to the final door before the end of the hall. Kinoshita was still asleep in his dark room. He slept on top of the covers, a jug of water on the floor by his bed. On a normal day, she would bang on his door just to see him jump awake and curse himself for missing breakfast. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>Today wasn’t a normal day, however, and she allowed the young man a few more minutes peace before the doors unlocked and the others barged in and doused him with the water jug. At least, she had a feeling that’s what Noya would do once he was let out of his room. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>Kiyoko turned around to face Tsukishima’s room, though she already knew what she would see through the observation window. He sat on his bed, wedged between the junctions of the walls. His body faced the door but his head rested on top of his knees. His glasses were discarded by his feet. His noise cancelling headphones (courtesy of Yamaguchi) were on over his sensitive ears.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>On the floor beside him like a supplicant, Yamaguchi held his head. His teeth worried his bottom lip as he squeezed and released Tsukishima’s hand repeatedly in an attempt to ground him. Normally, Tsukishima would already know Kiyoko was at his door, but the panic attack looked to be reaching its peak. Nothing would be able to bring him back until it was finished. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>Kiyoko had thought about putting the new boy, Hinata, into the holding room they had especially built for him, but when she had seen his empty face, she hadn’t had the heart to keep him separated from the others. Now, she wondered if it would have been better for Tsukishima if the commotion of the transfer had been on the floor above. Her love for him berated her for not thinking of him, but she also knew he would have still ended up upset by the noise and the stress of the lockdown. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>For now, she had to leave them. Sandwiched between Tsukishima’s room and Yamaguchi’s room, Hinata Shouyou sat in the dark. Due to his frighteningly strong ability, they had installed an extra layer of protection on the door of his room. The observation window was blocked by a sliding slab of metal. Nothing Yamaguchi couldn’t get through, it seemed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>She knocked lightly against the door. No reply came from inside. She wondered if the stress of the early morning transfer had caused Hinata to fall asleep. She slid back the metal to reveal Hinata sitting on the floor facing the door, his eyes squinting from the brightness of the hallway. She waved at him like she would with any of the other boys in her care. Hinata raised his eyebrows, puzzled, but didn’t return the wave. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>Not for the first time, Kiyoko wished she had been able to transfer Hinata to Karasuno sooner. Since the hospital incident had hit the papers, she had put the request in so many times, but Ukai had been unable to secure the transfer. The Tokyo facilities had wanted the credit for unlocking a new power source for the country. In the end, they had not been able to handle a scared boy with nothing to lose. Those scientists had come crawling to Ukai, despite their pride.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>Hinata stayed staring at her from the floor, so she punched in the code to unlock his door and stepped inside. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“Won’t you be more comfortable on the bed,” she asked as a way of greeting. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Hinata still didn’t move from the floor. He craned his neck to try to look behind Kiyoko.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“The men who brought you in already left,” Kiyoko assured him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I-,” Hinata began, but didn’t finish. His fingers tapped an unsteady rhythm on the floor. Kiyoko came all the way into the room and sat on Hinata’s unused bed. Nothing blocked Hinata from leaving the room, for the first time in five years. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>His eyes bugged out of his head when he realized there were no strong, cruel men keeping him in place. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>Kiyoko tried to make conversation with Hinata, “I bet you’ve already met Yamaguchi.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>He nodded, eyes still trained on the doorway. “He tripped over me before going through the wall into the other room,” he reported. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“Yes, Yamaguchi is quite famous here for his disappearing acts.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And you just… let him,” Hinata asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>Kiyoko pretended to think about it for a moment before answering, “I don’t think we could stop him even if we tried. He can phase through just about anything. Besides, this facility is special.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“‘Karasuno,’ Yamaguchi told me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It was originally built below ground to house one of the youngest abnormals ever brought into SECT. Since then, we’ve housed some of the strongest abnormals. Working with such special people means we have special operating practices. So special, most members of SECT don’t know how we operate,” Kiyoko explained. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“Hinata,” she addressed him. He finally turned his face away from the door and toward her. “Hinata, you’ll be safe here. No more isolation. No more fear.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Hinata’s neutral face shifted into a deep frown. He brought his knees up to his chest, curling into himself. “You’re SECT, you can’t promise things like that.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I suppose it would be strange if you believed me,” Kiyoko conceded. She stood up from the bed and stood between Hinata and the door once more. She reached out a hand to him, “I can show you, if you’d like.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   Hinata unfurled and tentatively took Kiyoko’s hand. He was so light, she lifted him from the floor with ease. Still holding his hand, Kiyoko unclipped the radio at her belt and spoke into it, “Hitoka, unlock the doors.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Shouyou allowed the woman that had introduced herself as Shimizu to lead him out of his room. In the hallway the elevator dinged. When the doors opened, a young man with heavily styled hair dressed in the dull gray uniform of the prisoner abnormals ran out and into the room closest to the right side of the elevator. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shouyou turned to look at Shimizu, not believing what he just saw. A small smile graced her beautiful face as she watched. He meant to ask what was happening. Before he could open his mouth, a surprised scream came out of the room. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shimizu led them toward the elevator, and thus also toward the mysterious shouting. She walked right by the room and continued on toward the elevator. Shouyou, on the other hand, could not resist looking for the energetic abnormal. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He stuck his head through the door and watched as a dirty blonde abnormal wrestled the energetic boy on the floor. Shouyou assumed he was the resident of the room. He was dripping wet and a, now empty, jug of water lay next to where he was pinning the intruder to the floor.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>”Didn’t your grandma, ever tell you. To not. Play with fire.” he said while shaking him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The pinned boy laughed, “technically, I was playing with water.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“You little shi-“</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hinata,” Shimizu called, “You can introduce yourself later.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>The boys on the floor snapped their heads up. The boy with heavily styled hair slid out of the other’s hold and ran for Shouyou at the door. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Surprised, Shouyou ran back to Shimizu.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Kiyokooooo,” a voice chased him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not right now, Nishinoya,” she said firmly as she entered the elevator. She pulled Shouyou with her, leaving Nishinoya in the hallway as the doors closed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nishinoya’s the resident trickster. If you give him attention, he’ll never stop,” Shimizu explained as the door dinged open on the next floor above. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Your other floormates are busy right now, but I can show you around the common areas, okay?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Common areas,” Shouyou’s heart leaped with hope, but he wished he could smash it back down. SECT was SECT was SECT. He couldn’t trust anything they said to him. This wasn’t how it worked. He should be strapped to a table. He should be behind reinforced glass for the safety of everyone. He took a deep breath as he felt his heart rate pick up. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>To the right of the elevator on this floor, plastic covered what appeared to be rooms under construction. Shimizu showed Shouyou to the room across from the construction. She keyed in a passcode and gestured for Shouyou to step inside. Suspicion coated Shouyou’s heart, but he stepped inside, knowing he could never refuse SECT. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The part of the room he was standing in had various instruments built into the desks lined up against a large observation window. Shouyou knew them well from his years of experimentation.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Shimizu pull something out of her pocket. He turned to face her, wary of the assistant head of research.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Part of our agreement with the Tokyo facility is that we continue to test your power and determine whether you can be used as an alternative power source. This room is where we will conduct the necessary tests,” Shimizu explained, looking a touch annoyed. “It was the best I could do for you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s okay, I know it won’t ever end,” Shouyou found himself saying. It was true, but it still stung him that freedom would never be for him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I want you to be able to meet the others,” Shimizu said, before grabbing Shouyou’s hand. In her other hand she held up a bracelet.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“This will monitor your radiation levels when you are outside of your room and this room. It will alert you and us in the research department if you reach a level that could adversely affect others. If that happens, you need to come directly here. Your own room can only withstand so much,” she explained as she fit the clunky bracelet on Shouyou’s wrist. Her touch was feather light as she fastened it and let go. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I-“ she started, but her eyes looked as if she was looking at something far away from her for a moment. She shook her head and began again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think one of the older boys can show you the rest of the remaining floors.” As she said that, a silver haired young man popped his head into the room. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shimizu-,”  he called with an affected tone, “oh, you’re showing the transfer around?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just who I needed,” Shimizu said. She gestured to Shouyou saying, “Sugawara, this is Hinata. Hinata, this is Sugawara. He’s going to show you the rest of the facility.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shouyou mumbled a small hello as they all exited the room. In the hallway, Shimizu gave Shouyou a small slip of paper, “memorize this code so you can get into this room when you need it.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shoyou took the paper and looked at it, committing the code to memory. Shimizu had him lock the door as practice for punching in the code. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Suga, I have a meeting with Ukai and Hitoka right now, can you please-“</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>Sugawara interrupted her, “Shimizu, yes go, go. I’ve got it from here.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“See you later, Hinata. Make friends,” Shimizu encouraged Shouyou before hopping into the elevator. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sugawara threw his arm over Shouyou, causing him to jump. Sugawara winced and apologized. “I forgot how jumpy I was when I arrived here. Don’t worry, Hinata, we’ve got you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh, thanks,” was all Shouyou could say as Sugawara led him further down the hall. Past a couple of empty rooms on their left, Sugawara pointed out Nishinoya’s room and his own room across from it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The second they unlocked the doors today, he took off like a bat out of hell. I’m not sure where he went. He’s usually clinging to Asahi or Tanaka,” he explained.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He was on my floor fighting with someone when Shimizu brought me up the elevator,” Shouyou offered. Sugawara let out a bark of laughter. “That sounds about right, poor Kinoshita. He’s always the last one to wake up.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shouyou nodded, pretending he understood. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“Next to Nishinoya is Tanaka. He’s probably watching something in the lounge-“</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You guys have a lounge,” Shouyou asked, perking up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We have a lounge, Hinata,” Sugawara confirmed, while shaking Shouyou gently.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“We eat there together a lot. Unless we’re locked in. And then Yamaguchi makes fun of all of us for not being able to walk through walls,” he continued. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If Yamaguchi can’t be stopped, why doesn’t he leave? He could… be free…” Shouyou wondered aloud.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Because doors aren’t the only things that can hold people,” a voice behind him said. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shouyou turned around and saw Yamaguchi and a tall, lanky blonde boy walking beside him. This boy wore a sour face and large headphones.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yamaguchi,” Sugawara and Shouyou said at the same time. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>Sugawara turned to look at Shouyou, “oh, so you’ve met.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He tripped me on my way to Tsukki’s room earlier,” Yamaguchi informed Sugawara.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He </span>
  <em>
    <span>stepped </span>
  </em>
  <span>on me,” Shouyou corrected. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yamaguchi shrugged, “he was sitting in the dark.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“Did you apologize at least,” Sugawara asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes </span>
  <em>
    <span>mom</span>
  </em>
  <span>, I apologized,” Yamaguchi said, moving his hands in a blur. The boy who must be Tsukishima beside him laughed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sugawara spoke and moved his hands at the same time, “I don’t want to be your mother, you little monster.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was Tsukishima’s turn to sign, but he didn’t speak. Sugawara scoffed as Yamaguchi laughed behind a hand. Shouyou waited for some kind of explanation.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When Yamaguchi was done laughing he told Shouyou, “Tsukki just pointed out that I’m taller than Suga.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And always will be,” Sugawara admitted while wiping away a fake tear. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“Is Tsukishima deaf,” Shouyou asked, curious. He looked from Yamaguchi to Tsukishima and back again. Yamaguchi’s mouth twisted while he thought about how to answer.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No,” Tsukishima whispered, barely audible. Yamaguchi patted Tsukishima on the back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tsukki’s ability makes him painfully sensitive to noises around him, including his own voice. He prefers not to speak, so most of us here have learned sign language in order to communicate with him,” Yamaguchi explained.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shouyou could believe that friends would rally together to support each other. What Shouyou couldn’t believe was that these people were abnormals allowed to leave their rooms and socialize. Was it like this for every abnormal with powers that weren’t catastrophic? Shimizu had said Karasuno was for the powerful, didn’t that also make them the most dangerous? </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Together, the four of them walked toward the lounge. Sugawara pointed out Daichi’s room as Yamaguchi and Tsukishima made kissy faces. Ennoshita’s room was next to Tanaka’s room, but Sugawara assured Hinata he was probably in the greenhouse, now that the doors were unlocked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s on b-6 if you ever want to check it out! It has mirrors that criss-cross all the way to the surface so Ennoshita can get real sunlight for his flowers,” Yamaguchi gushed. Tsukishima made a face and decided to speak. “It’d be better if he grew more vegetables,” he said. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sugawara pushed the double doors to the lounge open and turned back to face Tsukishima saying, “there’s no reason you couldn’t plant those vegetables yourself if you wanted to.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tsukishima’s sour face stayed soured as Shouyou walked into the lounge. To his right, a long, long table sat next to a full kitchen. A young man older than Hinata sat at the table staring into a bowl of cereal, half asleep.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sugawara left Shouyou to shake the man awake, “Daichi, I can’t believe you, wake up.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Daichi straightened up, “I wasn’t sleeping.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“You weren’t eating either. Cereal? Honestly? You couldn’t make yourself something with more… substance,” Sugawara asked, crossing his arms.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Suga, your bowl is in the sink; you had cereal, too,” Daichi countered. Sugawara stuck out his tongue and pulled Daichi out of his seat by the arm and threw him toward Shouyou.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hinata! Meet our resident hunk, Sawamura Daichi,” Sugawara introduced him. Yamaguchi and Tsukishima made fake gagging noises as they left Shouyou to make themselves some breakfast. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“C’mon, Suga, don’t you think Asahi wins the hunk title? He’s the full package,” a voice called from the couches to the left of the doors. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, Daichi wins, every time,” Sugawara answered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“Gross,” Yamaguchi and the person on the couch called out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tanaka, get off your butt and come meet Hinata,” Daichi said, trying to sound gruff.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A bald young man stood up from the couch and slinked over to the entrance. He flashed Hinata a sharp smile, “nice to meet you, I am the one and only Tanaka Ryuunosuke.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tanaka’s energy was infectious, Shouyou felt himself smiling back immediately. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m Hinata Shouyou.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“Well Hinata, what’s your deal? What do you do?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Daichi shot Tanaka a dark look, “we don’t go around asking people right out the gate, man.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tanaka put his hands up, “hey not everyone has the same relationship to their power,” he reasoned. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shouyou chewed on the inside of his cheek before answering, “I don’t completely understand it myself…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tanaka looked at him expectantly and urged him to continue.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“I think it has something to do with radiation? The scientists from the Tokyo facility said they wanted to use me to power Japan…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tanaka paled slightly and asked, “Like a freakin’ nuclear generator?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>Shouyou shrugged, “I guess so. Like I said, I don’t know much about it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Daichi rubbed a hand across the faint stubble on his chin, “We should make sure Shimizu gives Hinata the resources he needs to understand his power. Something strong like that could get out of hand.” Despite Daichi’s thoughtful tone, Shouyou tensed. He knew he was dangerous. Really, he should be locked up right now, right? Wasn’t that what he was always told? He was a danger to others.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What Daichi means,” Sugawara said, placing a hand on Shouyou’s shoulder, “is that the better you understand your power, the better you are at controlling it.’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You don’t think I should be locked up,” Shouyou asked, embarrassed for existing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I mean, technically, we’re all locked up for the same reason, right,” Daichi supposed, “but no, I don’t think you have to be alone. Wouldn’t that just be cruel?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tanaka and Sugawara nodded. Shouyou felt some tension release from his shoulders. He had been carrying the weight of loneliness for so long, it felt good to be talking to others. They had experienced some of the same pain as him, but seemed kind. And fun. He liked the way Sugawara could switch between  caring  and instigating mischief. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Without warning, Shouyou found himself yawning. He quickly covered his mouth and mumbled an apology. “I’m not usually tired…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tanaka threw a friendly arm around Shouyou. Today, he had received more affection than he knew how to carry.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tired from the transfer I bet, huh,” Tanaka asked. Shouyou nodded, suddenly craving a bed. “You can join us for dinner later, I’ll have Noya or Yamaguchi come grab you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Would you like one of us to walk you back to your room or do you think you know the way back ,” Sugawara asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think I’ve got it,” Shouyou replied. He wanted to meet the others, like Ennoshita and Asahi, but he relished the opportunity to take a nap for perhaps the first time in his life. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He said his goodbyes and walked back down the hallway toward the elevator. On his right was the door to his holding chamber. They had built this for him. Not to torture him, exactly. The research team at Karasuno had built this as a fail safe. He could be out in these halls and the lounge with the others without worrying about hurting them. Shouyou had never thought he would ever get the chance to make friends. He wasn’t completely sure that he remembered how.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shouyou turned away from the chamber and called the elevator. When the doors dinged open, Nishinoya flew out from the doors like he had the first time Shouyou saw him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nishinoya registered that it was Shouyou before him and grabbed his hand to give it a frantic shake, “it’s so great to finally meet you, I can’t believe Kiyoko ran away with you before I could introduce myself-“</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re Nishinoya,” Shouyou said with a smile.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“That’s ‘O’ Great Nishinoya Yuu’ to newbies like you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s ridiculous,” Shouyou laughed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“Kiyoko didn’t tell you that </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m</span>
  </em>
  <span> ridiculous,” Nishinoya asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She may have mentioned something about it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>Nishinoya seemed glad that she had mentioned him to Shouyou, based on how he preened from his own infamy. “Good, good,” Nishinoya said. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Curious, Shouyou asked, “why did you pour water on that guy?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>Nishinoya tried to look wise by stroking an invisible, fake beard on his chin, “to try to wake up Kinnoshita in any other manner is to court certain doom.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>Nishinoya gave his “beard” a twirl, “You see, Kinnoshita has the ability to create and manipulate fire. If I tried to rouse him from his sleep like a normal person… He might get a little hot-headed.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nishinoya’s theatrics made Shouyou laugh, but he found himself yawning again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Big day, huh,” Nishinoya asked. “I suppose we can work out the details of becoming partners in crime after you have a nap.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Partners in crime?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>Nishinoya walked a circle around Shouyou, looking him up and down. He grabbed Shouyou’s arms and put them in a T position. He pretended to measure them before putting them back down at Shouyou’s side.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, you pass. We’re gonna be great partners, Shouyou,” NIshinoya decided.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I didn’t-“</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You didn’t have to. Kiyoko has wanted you here for years. She’s told Suga and me all about you,” Nishinoya explained.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Really? How did she even know about me?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“Kiyoko has her ways,” Nishinoya shrugged. “Now that you’re here, maybe she won’t worry as much… probably not.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shouyou was shocked that anyone thought to rescue you him from the isolation and torture he had been victim to at the Tokyo facility. He felt tears prickle in his eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey,” Nishinoya patted Hinata’s head, “you’re here now, right? That’s what matters.” Shouyou nodded and wiped the tears away before they could fall. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>    Nishinoya gave him one last pat on the head before bounding down the hall and into Asahi’s room. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>After his nap, the first one of his life (Shouyou didn’t count being forcefully knocked unconscious as napping), he wasn’t sure what to do with himself. Should he introduce himself to his new neighbors? He still hadn’t technically met any of the three living in the rooms across from him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He paced his small room. In his head, he knew he was free to leave his room if the door wasn’t locked from the outside. Yet, years of having zero autonomy had wrecked Shouyou’s decision making abilities. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Okay, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Shouyou decided, </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’ll go to the lounge and see if anyone’s in there and-</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His train of thought was interrupted as Yamaguchi crashed into his room for the second time that day.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Can’t you use the hallway… since I, uh, live here now,” Shouyou asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“I came here for you this time though,” Yamaguchi explained.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I still think-“</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“Anyway, let’s go see if Kageyama will leave his room,” Yamaguchi pushed Shouyou toward the door.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Who’s Kageyama?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>Yamaguchi shoved Shouyou into the door, possibly forgetting that average people need to open a door in order to go through it. Once Shouyou successfully opened the door, they bounced into the hallway.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yamaguchi pointed at the door closest to the offices further down the hall, “that’s Kageyama’s room.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The two boys approached the door slowly. Through the observation window, Hinata could see nothing. The room was so dark, Shouyou could see his own face reflected in the glass.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is he even in there,” he asked Yamaguchi.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“If it’s that dark in there… yeah.” Yamaguchi knocked on the door, hard and fast.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Kageyama, you in there? You’re like the only one that hasn’t met Hinata!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>No sound could be heard from outside the door, not even a rustle of sheets. Shouyou turned to Yamaguchi, unsure if they should try again or leave him be. Yamaguchi bit his lip. He lifted his hand to knock again, then thought better of it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You should at least come to dinner later, you have to eat sometime,” Yamaguchi cautioned. The quiet that followed was deep and all consuming.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I guess he’s in a mood today. Pretty much everyone else is in the lounge, let’s grab Tsukki and go,” Yamaguchi relented. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shouyou nodded and followed Yamaguchi toward Tsukishima’s room. Before Yamaguchi reached the door, Tsukishima popped out of his room. Yamaguchi signed to him, and Tsukishima joined them. He pressed the elevator’s button and the three boys entered together. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>In the lounge, Nishinoya was curled up on one of the couches with someone with a bun. The man was gesticulating silently, in what Shouyou now knew was sign language. When Nishinoya noticed Shouyou enter the lounge, he whispered something to his companion. They both stood up, startling a Pitbull terrier from their feet. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We have a dog,” Shouyou asked, just one more weird thing about Karasuno.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“Just Tanaka,” Tsukishima whispered, placing his headphones over his ears as Nishinoya came bounding up to them, with mysterious man bun in tow. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shouyou,” Nishinoya yelled, and Shouyou realized why Tsukishima had put his headphones on. “This is Asahi! He’s the coolest.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nice to meet you,” Shouyou said for the thousandth time today. It was wonderful to be talking with so many different people. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi waved a hello, but didn’t say anything. Instead, he signed toward Nishinoya, his movements calmer than Yamaguchi or Nishinoya’s but not as fluid as Tsukishima. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Asahi’s wondering if you’re adjusting okay. Aw, man that’s sweet of you,” Nishinoya translated. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, tell that I-“</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“He can hear, He just… speaks less than Tsukishima,” Yamaguchi told Shouyou. Shouyou nodded and started over.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s been… weird. But like… a good weird? I haven’t had this many people around me in a long time. It’s nice.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi smiled when Shouyou finished. Since he arrived this morning, he hadn’t thought too hard about how he felt. Shouyou had gone from frightened to nearly happy in the span of a few hours. It was a lot to take in. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Pitbull chomped on Nishinoya’s hand, causing him to yelp and jump into Asahi’s arms. Asahi must be used to the antics, because he caught Nishinoya with zero effort or warning. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s not nice Tanaka, you’ll teach Shouyou bad manners,” Nishinoya chided. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>One moment the dog was a dog and the next, he was Tanaka curled on the floor. He shot straight up and flung himself at Asahi. Unperturbed, Asahi quickly hefted Nishinoya onto his shoulder and caught Tanaka with his free arm.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think Asahi would find that easier if you were something small, like a mouse,” Sugawara said from the kitchen. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yamaguchi scoffed, “You a mind reader now, too?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi raised his eyebrows, but said nothing. He effortlessly carried both men back over to the couch and gently placed them on the cushions.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“One day I’m going to convince you to throw me,” Tanaka told Asahi.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>Asahi lifted one hand and moved it emphatically between two signs.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yamaguchi, what's that mean,” Shouyou asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He’s just saying stupid over and over.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>From the kitchen once more, Sugawara called out, “Hinata, I hope you don’t mind having hot pot tonight? It’s not exactly the season for it yet, but we can’t feel the heat down here anyway.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shouyou hadn't eaten hot pot since his captivity began five years ago. It felt strange and good to be asked his opinion on a meal. He sat down at the table, next to Daichi, who was reading a massive book. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That sounds good.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“Is there anything special you want in it? We can ask Yacchan to pick us up some good beef,” Sugawara said, wiggling his fingers. “Last time, when we asked her to buy us some crab for Kageyama’s birthday, Shimizu gave her the company card.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That was fun until we found out that Kageyama has a shellfish allergy,” Daichi said without looking up from his book. Sugawara hummed while he chopped mushrooms for the pot. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shouyou’s tastes weren’t as fancy as crab, but he did crave some unbearably hot rice with a fresh cracked egg. He wanted to watch the goo cook on the rice. It was another thing he hadn’t eaten in a long time. Sure, he had had eggs, and of course he had his share of rice. Yet, nothing could surpass the simplicity of tamago kake rice. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Whatever you’re already making’s fine with me,” Shouyou assured Sugawara. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Have you started dinner yet, Suga,” Shimizu asked as she pushed open the double doors of the lounge. She looked pleased to see Shouyou outside of his room. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She opened up a cabinet next to Sugawara’s legs and pulled out an apron. Holding up a hand she said, “okay, I’m tapping in.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sugawara laughed at her, “uh, no you’re not. You’ve been working since 5 AM. Sit down and relax.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shouyou watched as she stared really hard at Sugawara until he relent.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“Alright, alright, heaven forbid you have a nice evening.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can help you make dinner and still have a nice evening,” she countered, opening the cabinets above them to bring down the hot plate.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Instantly, Tanaka was by her side, “do you need me to get that down for you?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>Shimizu brought it down without looking at him, “if I need muscle, I’ll call for Asahi before you. I’ll call princess Suga, before calling you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Y’ouch,” Sugawara said, “that’s really saying something, isn’t it?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>Tanaka pretended to pout but went back to Asahi and Nishinoya on the couch.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tsukishima’s birthday is tomorrow, did you have Yacchan order the cake,” Daichi asked, finally looking up from his book. Shimizu walked around Daichi and Shouyou’s seats to put the hot plate on the table. She drummed her fingers on the table before grinning at them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I ordered it, but she’ll be picking it up. At the most expensive bakery in town,” she said, before returning back to her station beside Sugawara.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>Yamaguchi wandered over on his long legs, leaving Tsukishima with the others beginning to congregate on the couches. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re going to give her a heart attack when she sees that price tag,” he informed the group. He opened the fridge and rummaged around in there, listless.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She’ll have the facility’s card,” Shimizu said, matter of fact.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“She’ll still go on about correct spending of tax dollars,” Yamaguchi said inside the fridge.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sugawara gave him a kick, telling him not to spoil his dinner. Yamaguchi closed the fridge and looked at Sugawara, but he was cut off by both Shimizu and Sugawara.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not your mother,” they said simultaneously.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>The light and easy air between everyone refreshed Shouyou. He had been lonely, but in the warming kitchen, he felt safe. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He listened to the sounds around him. Sugawara and Shimizu chopped various vegetables and occasionally meat. Daichi read his book at a steady pace, flipping pages at an easy rhythm. The noise from the couches grew louder and louder as more of the boys made their way down to dinner. Besides Kinnoshita, Hinata didn’t recognize the newcomers. Could one of them be Kageyama, from the blacked out room?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tsukishima rose from the floor by the couches and came over to the kitchen. He leaned on the counter next to Shimizu and knocked on it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hinata, can you help Tsukishima set the table,” Sugawara asked as Shimizu snatched a hot sauce bottle out of Sugawara’s hand.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tsukishima handed Shouyou a precariously tall stack of bowls and plates. Holding his breath, Shouyou turned around to gently place them on the table. He exhaled as soon he made sure they were safe from falling hazards. He layed out bowls at every seat of the table. Tsukishima handed him more and more tableware. Shouyou wasn’t sure how it would all fit on the table, but when they were finished, everything had a place, even if it was crooked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You sure one hot plate is gonna be good enough,” Shimizu asked Sugawara.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>Sugawara held his ladle for the broth aloft saying, “hot pot is a battle! You have to fight for the yummy goodness within.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Daichi, long since removed from his book, clapped his hands loudly, “alright it’s time to eat!” The group from the couch ran over as quick as lighting but Daichi blocked their path. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ennoshita, Narita, I want you to finally meet Hinata,” he grabbed Shouyou and presented him to them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, I haven’t met him either,” Kinnoshita argued.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“Okay, well all three of you should have introduced yourselves sooner.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The young man with a buzz cut introduced himself as Narita. “I’m right across from you,” he said, “so let me know if you ever need anything, alright?” After receiving a greeting from Shouyou, Narita took his seat at the table.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hinata, this is Kinoshita,” Daichi told him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“Nishinoya said he had to pour water on you this morning,” Shouyou told Kinnoshita, “he said it was the safest way to wake you up.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kinoshita grimaced, “He’s wasting perfectly good water every time he does that. He could let my alarm wake me up for once.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The last remaining person in the room Hinata had yet to formally meet said, “you never set an alarm.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Then don’t wake me up,” Kinoshita shrugged.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>Shouyou watched the last young man as Daichi and Kinoshita talked about fire safety. Was this Ennoshita of the greenhouse magic or was this Kageyama? His hair was dark, but his expression was warm. Shouyou watched as his eyes jumped around, focusing on one person behind Shouyou and then another. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He caught Shouyou staring and introduced himself without Daichi’s prompting, “I’’m Ennoshita Chikara.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shouyou deflated slightly, but recovered, “the one in the greenhouse?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>Ennoshita nodded, “that’s me! You should come by tomorrow, if you don’t have lab work happening.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t know anything about that, yet,” Shouyou admitted. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“Well, I hope you’ll come by,” Ennoshita reassured him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Once they were all at the table, Kageyama’s still empty chair sat with a full place setting. No one mentioned his absence, so maybe it was a regular occurrence. Shouyou had a hard time understanding why anyone would miss out on a meal with others. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sugawara took Shouyou’s bowl and filled it with rice, steaming and burning to the touch. “Me next,” said someone further down the table.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nuh-uh, I only did Hinata’s because he’s new. Tomorrow he can get his own rice, like the rest of you do.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Several people clicked their tongues, but one by one everyone stood up and dished up their own rice. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shouyou picked up his chopsticks and gave thanks for his meal.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“Wait,” Sugawara stopped him. He handed Shouyou a raw egg from the counter. “I bet you could crack this right over your rice, huh?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I-“ Shouyou tried to thank Sugawara, but something caught in his throat. He was shushed by a hand in his hair.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You don’t need to thank me. I’m just glad you’re finally here,” Sugawara told him, his voice soft and low. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Abruptly Shimizu stood up and power walked out of the room. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Out in the hallway, Kiyoko allowed herself to take a shaking breath. Finally, Hinata was the safest he would ever be. No more induced comas. No more isolation, not if Kiyoko could help it. It had been five years since she learned of Hinata’s existence, but until today, she wasn’t sure if she would ever get him to Karasuno. Nothing was ever set in stone; things changed everyday, but with Hinata here, she felt one step closer to having the full picture. Relief rushed over her as she let out a quiet sob. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shimizu, are you okay,” someone in the hallway asked. Their voice was strained, unsure whether speaking was even the right thing to do. Startled, Kiyoko quickly wiped her eyes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you want to go in?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“No.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Too much?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>It’s always too much.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll have someone bring you a plate later, but you have to come to dinner eventually, okay,” Kiyoko reasoned, but the other person in the hallway was already gone.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Tsukishima's birthday arrives, and Hinata visits Ennoshita's greenhouse. Kageyama gets a check up and a vibe check.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Happy Birthday to my baby boy, Tsukishima Kei!! Thank you Ame for looking over this even though she's so freaking busy right now. This fic is her baby. You can always bug me (Liz) at pinchserveprince on Tumblr or pinchserve12 on twitter! Can't guarantee that there will be another update before the new year, so please subscribe if you like the fic!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Shimizu came back into the lounge and took her seat back up. Tanaka and Noya had taken turns fishing out meat from the steaming pots and heaping it on her plate in her absence. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Shouyou watched as she picked her chopsticks up and looked at her plate. The corners of her mouth rose up slightly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We didn’t want you to miss out on all the food,” Tanaka admitted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You have to eat a lot of meat so you can do a good job,” Noya agreed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If anyone needs to keep their strength up,” Shimizu said as she swirled the contents of the pot, “it’s you, Nishinoya.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not on deck for any missions,” he countered, snatching a piece of tofu off of Asahi’s plate. Asahi made no protest, but took a stack of mushrooms in retaliation. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“With your luck,” Yamaguchi said, “you’ll get pulled out of bed at 3 AM, just for saying that.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Noya crammed the stolen tofu into his mouth and pouted. He signed something to Asahi. In response, Asahi’s cheeks glowed red. His own response was shaky, but the rest of the table laughed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shouyou leaned toward Shimizu and asked, “what did I just miss?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shimizu shot a look at Yamaguchi down the table and responded, “you don’t actually want to know. But, I think Yamaguchi has some books that can get you started with learning sign language.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yamaguchi nodded, his cheeks filled to the brim. He tried to respond, but he started coughing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Should I scold him while he can’t hit me with ‘you’re not my mom’ or do I let him suffer quietly,” Sugawara leaned over to ask Shouyou. Mischief was alight in his eyes, but he let Yamaguchi choke on his food without comment. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, I can show you them tomorrow.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shouyou heard Shimizu hum a little under her breath, but she only thanked Yamaguchi. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The rest of dinner passed in a blur. The boiling pots’ contents dwindled and the broth began to caramelize by the time they shut off the hot plates. Once the hot plates were put away, Tsukishima and Shouyou did the dishes in silence. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Dish duty on his first night,” Tanaka teased, “you run a strict kitchen, Suga.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>From his spot curled against Daichi on the couch, Sugawara had flipped Tanaka a rude finger gesture. Shouyou tried to stifle his laugh with his hand, but ended up covered in suds instead. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Before leaving for the evening, Shimizu pulled Shouyou aside. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tomorrow, we’re going to run some tests. Just some stuff to determine boring things like baseline radiation effects. Do you know how to activate your power on your own?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shouyou grimaced at the idea of being poked and prodded. Until today, that had been the whole of his existence. “Yeah, I can. I think,” he responded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s fine if you can’t. Most people don’t know how until they start to practice,” Shimizu explained, but Shouyou shook his head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s not really a power I want to use,” he said, feeling himself curl in on himself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shouyou, that’s fine, that’s completely fine. I’ll have Yachi come grab you tomorrow morning around eight, okay?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shouyou nodded, and Shimizu bid him goodnight.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The next morning, Tadashi woke up to the sound of Hinata’s reinforced door swinging open. He hopped out of his bed and stuck his head out of his own door without bothering to open it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, Hinata- stop screaming, I’m fine, geez,” Tadashi laughed as Hinata tried to recollect himself. Beside him, Yachi looked pale, her head snapping back and forth between the two boys.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You really can’t use the door like a normal person,” Yachi asked. She had this week’s clipboard against her chest. It was a bright pink, matching her nails.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“None of us here are normal, Yachi, except you and Shimizu,” Tadashi retorted, pulling the rest of his body through the door. “Is pink the color of the week,” he asked Yachi. He couldn’t see what color her ponytail elastic was, but his best guess was the same shade of pink as her clipboard and nails. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He turned to ask Hinata what he was doing today, but Yachi let out a distressed noise.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yamaguchi, you know you’re only wearing boxers on, right,” Hinata asked, frowning.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tadashi looked down and saw that Hinata was right, he was only wearing his boxers, the daruma pattern ones he had stolen from a junk tourist shop in August.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ah shit.” He slid back into the inbetween of his room and the hallway, once more a talking head. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yachi, getting over her embarrassment asked, “Did you buy those, Yamaguchi?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tadashi nodded aggressively, “yes, ma’am, of course I did!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yachi brought her clipboard up to her face and lightly smacked her forehead a few times. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why don’t I believe you,” she asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Because you know better,” he smirked. He shot Shouyou a wink and pulled himself all the way back into his room. He quickly changed into a clean set of the gray uniforms they wore in the facility. Tadashi hated the dull color. He knew he could easily go take some real clothes out in the real world. His friends were stuck in these boring uniforms, so there was no fun in flaunting his ability to come and go as he pleased. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Knowing Shouyou wasn’t in his room, Yamaguchi phased through their shared wall and crashed through to Tsukki’s room. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tsukki was awake and dressed for the day. He looked up from the thin book on Jumon era art that Shimizu had given him for his birthday last year. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tadashi signed HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Tsukki. The ghost of a smile appeared on his face, so Tadashi considered that a win. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With his headphones solidly on over his ears, Tsukki said, “I think it’s going to be a good day.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Surprised by the sheer dumb luck of the universe, Tadashi launched himself Tsukki, repeatedly whispering “happy birthday.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shut up Yamaguchi.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sorry, Tsukki,” he whispered back, not sorry in the least. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Tobio knew he should have gone to see Yui sooner. The pain in his gut was making it difficult to eat. As he slipped into the elevator to the nurse practitioner’s office, he vaguely wondered if he was dying. The concept interested him, even if the result didn’t. He wondered what they would do with his body. Since he and Tsukishima had lived at this facility the longest, it wasn’t like any had died here. Yet. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The elevator dinged and the doors opened. In the hallway, Ennoshita was carrying a massive potted flower. As their eyes met, Ennoshita called out, “Hold the elevator, Kageyama.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tobio stepped out, but held the door for Ennoshita.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thanks. Hey, you should come over when you’re done here. I just got in something you might like,” Ennoshita told him before allowing the doors to close. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tobio wasn’t sure what kind of plants he would be interested in. Besides the occasional jaunts to the greenhouse, usually at the behest of Sugawara, he had little experience with things that grew outside. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He knocked on the door of the office, and Yui told him to come in.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Kageyama,” she said when he walked in, “what brings you up here?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Still in the doorway, Tobio felt embarrassed as she watched him. He stepped further into the office and sat down on the examination table. The white paper covering made his eyes hurt. The shadow of his hand bent and swirled, trying to eat up the brightness. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He clenched his fist, willing the shadows to stop. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ve been having stomach pains, I guess,” he finally said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How has your stool been looking,” Yui asked him, plucking his file from the neat shelf with ten, now 11, he supposed, other files. She flicked the file open and clicked her pen. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Despite the years of power testing, of being used, Tobio always felt the same awkward discomfort when he was expected to talk about his disgusting body. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was going to be a long morning.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Shouyou entered the testing room with Yachi taking the lead. Shimizu wore a spotless lab coat. Beside her, a man in glasses and tufted hair.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thanks for bringing Shouyou, Yachi,” Shimizu said. Yachi gave a small bob of a bow and took a seat on the far end of the observation deck.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shouyou,” Shimizu gestured to her companion, “this is the head of the research department, Takeda Ittetsu.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, nice to meet you,” Shouyou and Takeda bowed to each other.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The pleasure is mine, Hinata. We’re excited to have you on board with us.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shouyou didn’t quite know how to respond, since he had no real choice in any matter.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“How about we begin,” Shimizu suggested as the conversation stalled. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay.” Shouyou felt nervous. He wasn’t used to getting ready for examinations. In the past, the scientists would just take what they needed from him, whether or not he was conscious. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yui’s too busy to help us with the vitals, Takeda,” Shimizu said as she retook her seat in front of gauges Shouyou didn’t understand.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh! I can do the basic stuff,” Yachi offered, jumping out of her seat. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You were in Yui’s office before transferring to research, weren’t you,” Takeda asked as he opened a few drawers at his seat. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, I've been doing the rounds all over the facility. It’s just how the internship track is set up,” she explained. She accepted the equipment Takeda began to pile into her arms.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Let’s go, Hinata,” She gestured toward the chamber that took up the rest of the massive room. “We’ll get you hooked up as quick as we can.” She took a few steps toward the door, but Shimizu called out to her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yachi watch out for the lip of the-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Too late. Yachi crashed into the room, spilling the equipment all over the floor. Shouyou took an extra large step into the room to make sure he didn’t trip over the same lip of the doorway</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you alright?” He offered Yachi a hand up when she sat up from her spill. Her cheeks were scarlet, but overall she looked okay.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nothing a couple band aids can’t fix,” she assured him. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Together, they collected the instruments she had dropped. She piled them on the wheeled tray by the examination table. After counting them, she ran back out to the observation deck. She came back with some medical tape and began to strap him into the heart monitor. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“This won’t take a long time,” she told him. “What are you doing after this?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shouyou was going to shrug, but stopped. He didn’t want to mess up her process.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think Yamaguchi was going to take me to Ennoshita’s greenhouse.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yachi put the tape down and wheeled the tray away. She examined her work and smiled at Shouyou.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That sounds like a good way to spend the day. I wish I went there more often. I’m really allergic to pollen,” she told him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh. well that sucks. I guess you could wear a mask? Would that work? I feel like that should work.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yachi considered what he said, nodding a bit. “That does make some sense. I’ll have to try it.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you picking up Tsukishima’s cake today,” Shouyou asked, suddenly remembering.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yachi swelled with pride, “yup!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shouyou gave a little laugh. It seemed she didn’t know about the price tag yet. He decided to let the others have their fun. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh cool, what kind of flavor is it?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not sure what they ordered, but I think Tsukishima’s partial to strawberry shortcake.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She waved her fingers at Hinata as she walked back toward the observation deck and sealed the door. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shimizu’s voice crackled over the speaker, “Subject Hinata Shouyou, power test zero-zero-one.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Tadashi had just finished painting Tsukki’s last finger when Hinata’s heavy door groaned open. He sealed the black polish back up and began to blow on Tsukki’s hands. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tsukki looked up from the book in his lap and pulled his hand away.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Gross, stop that,” he said, in his typical quiet tone. He examined his nails for the first time since Tadashi had started. He knew better than to deny Tadashi anything, even on his birthday. Tadashi took advantage of that quite often. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m supposed to show Hinata Ennoshita’s greenhouse, you want to come?” Tadashi asked. After all of these years, he still thought of Tsukki as a wild card. He was wont to do whatever he wanted. The motivations weren’t always clear.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In response, Tsukki shrugged. “Sure, I was getting bored of the book, anyway.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tadashi threw up a pair of thumbs up as he got up from the bed and phased into Hinata’s room. The blackness of nonexistence came as a shock every time he used his power. He was, he wasn’t, and he was again.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He had slightly miscalculated when he went through the wall and ended up part way through Hinata’s bed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When Hinata came out of his bathroom, he wasn’t even shocked to find Tadashi there. However, he did raise an eyebrow at the state of him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Does that, like, hurt?” He asked, gesturing to Tadashi’s inbetween state. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tadashi planted his hands on the bed and pulled the rest of his legs through it. He was careful to keep his slippers off of Hinata’s messy covers and sat down.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nah,” he responded, “but maybe a little embarrassing.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Like running into the hallway naked?” Hinata quipped, quickly covering his smile.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tadashi felt his face heat from the memory, and he rolled around on Hinata’s bed in despair.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I wasn’t naked! Or running! Don’t twist the facts,” he insisted.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>HInata put a comforting hand on Tadashi and said, “I don’t think Yachi is going to tell anyone.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sugawara will find out, mark my words.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What, is he like psychic or something,” Hinata asked, titling his head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tadashi waved a hand. “Nah,” he said, “his power is telekinesis. You know, moving shit with his mind. He’s just intuitive.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Like a parent,” Hinata asked, probably remembering the banter between Tadashi and Sugawara the day before.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Like a mom, I swear to God, he’s worse than my real mother,” he whined.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The laughter on Hinata’s face dimmed and then went out. Tadashi didn’t like walking on eggshells with people. He didn’t have much experience with it. Most of the other boys and men in the facility had been here long enough that Tadashi knew where to step. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Still, he felt bad for ruining the mood with talk of parents. He began to apologize, but Hinata cut him off.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you still showing me to the greenhouse?” He asked, scratching the back of his head, looking a little embarrassed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tadashi stood up from Hinata’s bed and walked toward the door. “Yeah, Tsukki’s going to join us.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh cool,” Hinata said. He looked down at his bed and straightened out the blanket.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Before Tadashi opened the door, Hinata grabbed his arm. “Um. I was wondering. If you could teach me how to sign ‘happy birthday.’”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They met Tsukki in the hallway, ready to go to the greenhouse. Hinata bounded up to Tsukki, his hands flailing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, wait, that’s not quite right,” he chided himself. He repeated the signs more slowly this time and got it right.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tsukki looked from Hinata to Tadashi, an eyebrow raised. He hated being the center of any attention, so his birthday was always an awkward day for him. The older men liked any excuse to try to spoil the younger crew, much to Tsukki’s dismay. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tadashi blew Tsukki a little kiss, which made Tsukki curl his lip in disgust. Nice. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thanks,” Tsukki whispered, doing the sign for it at the same time.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yamaguchi, how do I sign ‘you’re welcome,’” Hinata nearly yelled. Not for the first time, Tadashi was happy Tsukki always wore his noise cancelling headphones. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll show you later,” he promised. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They called the elevator. When it opened, Tadashi was surprised to see Kageyama. His face was in his usual scowl, his hands fisted tight against his sides.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I didn’t know you existed during the day,” Tsukki quipped.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fuck off Tsukishima,” Kageayama said, moving to the side to make room for the three entering boys.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s a weird way to say happy birthday,” Tsukki taunted. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kageyama didn’t dignify that one with a response. He looked at Hinata, whose eyes were wide as he looked at Kageyama. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tadashi agreed that Kageyama’s intensity was difficult to swallow. He usually kept to himself, except for when Shimizu or Sugawara were able to coax him out to dinner.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tadashi had expected Hinata to start interrogating Kageyama, seeing as he was the last fellow prisoner he had yet to meet. But, Hinata didn’t even try to introduce himself. Tsukki tapped his fingers on his thigh, probably equal parts bored and already annoyed by the turn of events.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The door opened on B6 and all four of them stepped out. Tadashi figured he should get the introductions over with.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hinata, this is Kageyama,” he gestured toward the dark-haired boy. “Kageyama, this is Hinata, he transferred here yesterday.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He would know that if he came to dinner yesterday,” Tsukki told him. Tadashi elbowed him in the side. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s nice to meet you,” Hinata said, bowing. His movements were stiffer than Tadashi had seen. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kageyama, for his part, gave a small bow back and stomped ahead of the group. He flung open the door to the greenhouse and walked in without them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sorry, Hinata, Tsukki must have put him in a bad mood,” Tadashi told Hinata as they followed after Kageyama. He sent a glare to Tsukki.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t blame me for his personality.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s fine,” Hinata said, but his eyebrows were drawn down on his face, creating a crease above his eyes. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>As they passed the threshold of the greenhouse, the air felt like it turned to liquid. Tadashi hated the sticky feeling on his skin as he instantly began to sweat. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It feels like summer in here,” Hinata said in awe. He lifted a hand to touch the greenery he had been deprived of for- well Tadashi didn’t really know how long. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tadashi knew Tsukki could relate. Until Ennoshita had come, bringing his power of strengthening the growth rate and success of any plant he got his hands on, Tsukki had lived without any kind of nature in his life. As for Tadashi, he could run top side whenever he wanted, but he could never bring Tsukki with him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Massive palm fronds created an arch over the stone pathway stretching from the entry of the greenhouse. Even from here, Tadashi could smell the perfume of the orchids that thrived in this section of the greenhouse. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Kageyama, glad you made it,” Tadashi heard Ennoshita say, though he couldn’t see him yet. As they continued down the path, the palms opened up to Ennoshita’s main workspace. It was a large wooden table covered in seedlings of various flowers. Behind him was a partition that separated these tropical varieties from the others. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ennoshita looked from Kageyama to the trio. “And you brought Hinata! Good.” He gave Kageyama a smack on the back with his gloved hand.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I didn’t bring them,” Kageyama corrected. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tadashi and Tsukki sat down on a bench beneath a flowering tree. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ennoshita, this place is awesome!” Hinata ran to the table, examining the seedlings. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Does it have something to do with your ability?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ennoshita nodded. “Yes and no. Well, I have this space because of my ability to make plants go better,” he explained, “but I used to work at a flower shop before I was turned into SECT.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You were turned in?” Hinata asked, still caught up in his excitement. From his seat on the bench, he watched as all three of the men around the work table tensed slightly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sorry that was rude-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ennoshita waved him off, “it’s okay, Hinata. My girlfriend, well ex girlfriend, was mad I broke up with her, so she called them.” He bent down to pick out a clay pot for one of the new seedlings. When he stood back up, he said, “it’s not a really flashy ability like creating fire and ice. I’m not sure if I would have ever been found out otherwise.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He said it so nonchalantly, like it didn’t still hurt him. Tadashi knew Narita and Kinoshita always talked about putting the hurt on her if they ever got to go top side. Ennoshita let them go on their rants, knowing they’d never get called out on a mission. Their abilities were strong, but not usually in demand. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>As if he summoned the alarm with his thoughts alone, the familiar bells of the mission announcement began to chime. Hinata jumped sky high, briefly taller than the flinching Kageyama.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thousand yen says it’s Tanaka. And if it’s Tanaka, it’s us,” Tsukki said, pressing down hard on his noise cancelling headphones. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You don’t even have money, Tsukki,” Tadashi shot back. He began to chant Nishinoya’s name in hopes it was a storm warning. It was still typhoon season, after all. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Director Ukai’s voice came over the speaker, “Search and Rescue missions for Yamaguchi and Tsukishima. Report to B8 floor ASAP.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fucking shit,” Tadashi growled, “Tsukki you jinxed us!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tsukki for his part, just shrugged. What a shame to waste a good day on work. Tsukki should have been able to relax on his birthday, listening to some music. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Stop pouting, Yamaguchi,” Tsukki told him as he stood up from the bench. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What time do you think you’ll be back?” Hinata asked, leaning over the table towards them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We don’t know Hinata, but we’ve gotta run. You’re good here?” Yamaguchi was walking backwards toward the entrance, an arm looped through Tsukki’s for balance. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah! I want to see more of the flowers!” Hinata responded, waving them a goodbye.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, see you later,” Tadashi said as he rounded out of sight of the work table. He turned around to walk the same way Tsukki was. Tadashi looped his other arm through his.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you think we’re getting airlifted,” he asked as they passed into the hallway.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I hope not, the helicopters always make me queasy,” Tsukki replied, his face curling in disgust just the way Tadashi loved to see it. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Hinata unnerved Tobio. From the small talk that had made its way around Karasuno in the period leading up to Hinata’s transfer, Tobio had expected a husk of a boy. And why shouldn’t he be? He had been treated worse than anyone who lived here. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Instead, Hinata bombarded Ennoshita with questions about the various seedlings on the table. His voice was so loud, and his hair was so bright, Tobio thought it was glowing. He watched his shadow tremble, trying to envelope the ground in darkness. The medicine Yui had given him had settled his stomach some, but she had told him he probably had an ulcer. Points for not dying, negative points for developing something that could become a recurring issue. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“-you okay?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tobio snapped his head up. Hinata was watching him from behind the white violets between them. The colors were eclipsed by his hair. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m fine,” Tobio answered, looking away. He watched Ennoshita re-pot some of those vibrant blossoms. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You know, these violets aren’t too hard to raise,” Ennoshita told them. “You just gotta watch their roots and water levels.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s cool,” Hinata said, touching one of the flowers gently, “they’re really pretty.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Aren’t all flowers pretty,” Tobio scoffed, mostly to himself. That made Hinata frown. He looked ready to fire something back at him, but Ennoshita cut in.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They grow fine in the shade,” he explained. He pushed one of the pots toward Tobio, who looked from the flowers to Ennoshita and back again. Some black feeling climbed into his throat.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can’t take care of these,” Tobio argued, trying to gently push the pot back toward Ennoshita. He couldn’t even take care of himself, his probable ulcer proved that. He wasn’t someone who could nurture another living creature. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think you could, I ordered them for you, something to liven up your room,” Ennoshita countered, giving the pot another push. Tobio didn’t deserve a gift like this, a responsibility he could break apart so easily.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When Tobio reached out to slide the pot away from him, the shadow under his hand whipped violently to the left. The flowers fell to the ground and the pot broke apart. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tobio quickly fisted his hands at his side. The apology burned in his throat, where the black feeling crept. It sucked his words away before they could reach his mouth. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He gave Ennoshita a deep bow and tore out of the greenhouse. </span>
</p>
<p><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As he watched Kageyama make his hasty retreat, Shouyou couldn’t believe what just happened.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What an asshole!” He screamed, indignation burning hot in his chest. “Do you have a broom or something, Ennoshita? Let me help you clean that up.” He looked around but didn’t see a broom or brush readily available.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll take care of it in a minute,” Ennoshita assured him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ennoshita was just staring at where Kageyama had been standing. He turned his attention back to his work table. He grabbed one of the remaining potted bunch of violets and motioned for Shouyou to take it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Can you go take this to him? Remind him to keep the soil from drying out.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You can’t be serious.” Hinata felt his anger building. Ennoshita obviously cared about Kageyama. So why did Kageyama throw the flowers on the floor? It sent Shouyou’s blood boiling.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s okay, Hinata, he didn’t mean to do it.” Ennoshita held out the pot again for Shouyou to take. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He accepted the flowers, encircling the pot carefully in his trembling arms. He was going to kick Kageyama’s ass. He bid Ennoshita goodbye and started down the palm frond arch. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tell him we can re-pot it together if the roots start to outgrow the pot!” He called after Shouyou. He gave him a nod and set out to find Kageyama. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>As soon as the elevator dinged open on Shouyou’s floor, he stomped down to Kageyama’s blacked out room. Without stopping to think about what he would say to Kageyama, Shouyou kicked the door several times. His whole body felt like it was boiling from his anger. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Despite his knocks, the door stayed closed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Kageyama, open the damn door,” Shouyou yelled. He couldn’t tell if there was any movement inside of the room. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know you’re in there,” he shifted the pot in his arms, “are you just such a coward? Just going to hide in there-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The door creaked open, some of the darkness receding deeper into the room. Half of Kageyama could be seen through the crack of light. His face was scrunched into a spectacular frown, which only deepened when he saw the pot of white violets.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Could you leave me alone?” He made no indication of opening the door any wider. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shouyou rolled his eyes and tried to kick the door open wider. The resulting bang echoed down the hall, but the door didn’t budge.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, you were an asshole to Ennoshita. You think you get to break his things and just go?” Shouyou pressed himself as close to the door as he could manage. “You didn’t even apologize.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kageyama wouldn’t meet Shouyou’s eyes. The darkness was creeping back toward the door, threatening to spill out of the room. He looked like he was trying to think of something to say in response to Shouyou’s fury. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I-I don’t,” he began, “I told him I couldn’t take care of it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shouyou scoffed, dissatisfied with Kageyama’s deflection. “So you lashed out like a spoiled brat?” Shouyou kicked the door again, leaving a dirty scuff with his slipper. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kageyama made an exasperated noise and asked, “Could you stop kicking my door?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t know,” Shouyou said with a shrug, “can you stop acting like a total ass?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How many times are you going to say that until you leave me alone?” Kageyama’s volume rose. Shouyou felt it fuel his anger even further.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Until you get it in your head that you don’t get to throw a tantrum because someone was trying to be nice to you!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kageyama rolled his eyes and tried to shut the door, but Shouyou was in the way. He was cradling the pot into his left side, trying to squeeze the rest of his body into the doorway.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> “You don’t even-” Kageyama tried to speak, but Shouyou interrupted him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t need to know you to know that was wrong.” He sent Kageyama one more glare before allowing him to release some of the anger building inside of him. He took a step back from the doorway, though he was scared Kageyama was going to slam the door on his nose.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shouyou brandished the pot of violets in front of him saying, “Ennoshita told me to give you these.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?! What part of-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Either you take these damn flowers or I rearrange your face,” Shouyou threatened.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was Kageyama’s turn to scoff, “wouldn’t you like to try.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shouyou yelled in frustration. He was contemplating throwing the white violets at Kageyama when the door to Narita’s opened. The young man came into the hallway. When he saw Kageyama and Shouyou glaring at each other, his eyebrows shot up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s wrong?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shouyou took a deep breath, shot one extra glare at Kageyama, and explained about Ennoshita’s gift of white violets to Kageyama. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Kageyama left before Ennoshita could give them to him,” Shouyou tried to sound sweet, “so I brought them from the greenhouse!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Narita nodded. He stepped closer to Shouyou and placed a light finger on one of the leaves. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You know, Ennoshita grows a lot of stuff because SECT tells him to,” he said, looking up from the violets to look at Kageyama peeking out of the doorway.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So when he has requests, it takes them weeks, sometimes months, to process it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shouyou stole a glance at Kageyama. His cheeks were turning crimson. The knob of the door twisted back and forth, evidence of his fidgeting inside his room.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So,” Narita concluded, “it sure was nice of him to order you something, all that red tape considered.” He waved them a small goodbye and a promise to see them at dinner. As soon as his door clicked shut, Kageyama opened his door more fully. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shouyou got ready for a tussle, but Kageyama opened his arms to accept the flowers. Gently, Shouyou transferred the weight of the pot to him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Got it?” He asked, lifting an eyebrow.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, good.” Shouyou drew his leg back and kicked Kageyama solidly in the shin. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Clutching the pot for dear life, Kageyama let out a whine of pain.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What the hell?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good, you’re not going to drop them again,” Shouyou said, standing up straighter. He turned around and walked toward his room, leaving Kageyama. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I better see you at dinner,” Shouyou called over his shoulder.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Or else, what, you’ll kick me again,” Kageyama yelled. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, but I’ll tell Shimizu you broke one of Ennoshita’s pots.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What are you, four?” Shouyou heard Kageyama scoff. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Embarrassed, Shouyou didn’t answer. He opened and slammed his door behind him.</span>
</p>
<p><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Aren’t they back yet?” Tanaka asked, splayed on the couch next to Shouyou. Everyone except Yamaguchi, Tsukishima, and Kageyama was scattered throughout the lounge. Nishinoya was crouched in front of the television, flipped through the case holding all of their dvds. He had been calling out movie names to Shouyou to figure out which ones he had not seen yet. Now, he was compiling a watch list as he rearranged the discs in their sleeves. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>From the kitchen, Daichi said, “it was a search and rescue, right? It’s possible they won’t be back until tomorrow, latest.” He was frying chicken to go with the side salad Kinoshita had made as a part of Tsukishima’s birthday dinner.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tanaka groaned, sitting up. “Yachi will be sad if she’s grabbed the cake for nothing.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sugawara, seated at the kitchen table doing nothing in particular, replied, “We can always celebrate tomorrow. Don’t worry too much about Yachi’s feelings, Tanaka.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shouyou saw the tips of Tanaka’s ears turn pink. “Whatever,” was Tanaka’s only response. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shimizu seated on the floor by the coffee table raised her eyebrow, but said nothing.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The door to the lounge opened then, and all heads snapped toward it in unison, hoping it was the awaited pair. Instead, Kageyama stood awkwardly by the door, looking uncomfortable with all the attention. He looked up and glared at Shouyou when they made eye contact. Shouyou stuck out his tongue for good measure. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kageyama stomped over to Ennoshita at the table with Sugawara. Shouyou couldn’t hear Kageyama’s quiet words to the former florist, but Shouyou watched him awkwardly stumble through what looked like an apology. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you,” Ennoshita replied with a reassuring smile shot at Kageyama. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Looking unsure of what to do next, Kageyama stood awkwardly by the table. He watched as Daichi moved some finished chicken onto a plate and began the next batch. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Might as well sit down, Kageyama,” Sugawara told him, motioning to the seat across from him. As soon as Kageyama sat down, Sugawara shot up out of his seat. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Daichi,” he sang, “how’s it going?” Sugawara hooked his chin over Daichi’s shoulder.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why are you buttering me up?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No reason,” Sugawara coolly lied as he reached his hand toward the cooling chicken.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’ll burn your tongue if you eat that,” Daichi warned him without looking away from the pan. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t know what you’re talking about,” Sugawara said, returning to his singing voice. He plopped a small bite of chicken into his mouth. Immediately, he started breathing out of his mouth like a dragon.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Daichi started laughing, waving his spatula, “that’s what you get for being a dirty seagull.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shouyou laughed as Sugawara socked Daichi. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How quickly their love sours,” Ennoshita remarked, elbowing Kageyama. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sugawara finished the piece of chicken, and turned on the men at the table. “Watch out the next time I cook, all of you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kageyama frowned, “I didn’t even say anything, though.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tanaka wandered over to the table, looking like he was after some of the chicken. Daichi shot him a glare, making the younger man take a seat at the table instead. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Once more the door opened, but this time Yachi shuffled in. “Sorry I’m late,” she said in a mildly panicked voice. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tanaka stood up from the table, offering to take the cake from her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> “I had to double check,” she explained, “that the price of the cake was correct. I nearly had a-“</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shimizu raised her voice from the coffee table, “Yachi, watch out for the-“ Like this morning, she was late with her warning. Yachi promptly tripped over a discarded slipper (probably Nishinoya’s). </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With the cake’s bag in one hand, Tanaka grabbed Yachi before she completely fell. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Nice job Ryuu!” Nishinoya yelled from his seat. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good catch,” Shouyou said, clapping. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yachi for her part looked a little dazed. She looked up through her bangs at Tanaka. After registering what had just happened, she stood straight up and bowed deeply at her savior.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh my God,” she said, her voice cracking, “I’m so sorry. I should have been watching where I was going! Is the cake alright? Because it was so very-“</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tanaka held the cake aloft, laughing, “The cake is fine, Yachi.” He turned around to place the cake on the kitchen’s table. He opened the bag and pulled out the cake box. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>As he asked about whether they should refrigerate the cake or not, Yachi came to sit at the coffee table by Shimizu. She handed the company card back to Shimizu with both hands. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is it really responsible to buy such an expensive cake with a card that belongs to SECT? I can’t see how that’s okay. What if they do an audit and find out…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shimizu laughed behind her hand. She gave Yachi a reassuring pat on the shoulder as she slipped the card into the pocket of her blazer. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You let me worry about that kind of stuff, Yachi.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If you say so,” Yachi conceded. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>With everyone gathered except for the birthday boy and his companion, there was a small lull in the noisy lounge. Daichi was finishing up the last of the cooking, vigilant against seagulls. Tanaka had wandered back to the couches and settled in next to Asahi on the couch to Shouyou’s right. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As time ticked by, Shouyou felt his hunger more acutely. The anger from his altercation with Kageyama had kept him from thinking about lunch. He was glad that Kageyama had come to the lounge, if only to apologize to Ennoshita. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Finally, Daichi called it. He clapped his hands once and said, “okay, we have to eat, it’s getting late.” Everyone made their way over to the kitchen.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Last of all, Nishinoya gave a whoop and rolled from the television to the table, not a short distance. He stood up with a “ta-da” pose, ready to receive praise for his acrobatics. His hair was beginning to deflate from a long day of rolling around the facility.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shouyou gave him a couple of claps. Next to him, Asahi signed at Nishinoya.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Aw, shucks, Asahi,” Nishinoya said, pretending to be embarrassed. Asahi rolled his eyes before pulling out a chair for Nishinoya before taking his own.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Always the gentleman, I love it,” Nishinoya said, falling dramatically into the chair. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Distracted by Nishinoya and Asahi, Shouyou had yet to take a seat. The only open seat left was on Kageyama’s left. Shouyou noticed two empty seats toward the other end of the table, but it was obvious those seats were being held for Tsukishima and Yamaguchi. Hoping against hope, Shouyou figured.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As Shouyou slowly took his seat, he saw Kageyama glaring at the food laid out in the center of the table. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The chicken’s already dead, Kageyama, you don’t have to fight it,” Shouyou said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kageyama gave him a sideways glance. “I’m trying to decide if it’s safe to eat.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Kageyama,” Sugawara said, scandalized, “Daichi made most of this! I was joking about poisoning you!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After they gave thanks for the dinner, Shouyou shoveled large portions of each food onto his plate. Everything tasted delicious. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yachi paid many enthusiastic compliments to Daichi’s cooking skills. “Sometimes fried chicken is too greasy, but this is super good,” she explained. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>On Shouyou’s right, Kageyama picked at some salad and his portion of rice. He wondered if Kageyama still thought Sugawara was trying to poison him, so Shouyou said, “hey, it’s all communal food, we’d all get sick if he tried to poison you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not that stupid,” Kageyama shot back. “I just- might have some stomach issues. Maybe.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh,” came Shouyou’s reply. “Does greasy food set it off? My little sister has a hard time eating fried foods, too.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kageyama shrugged instead of answering, so Shouyou continued, “Yachi just said it’s not that greasy, though. Maybe you could try it? You look like you want to eat it!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shouyou flipped his chopsticks over and grabbed a piece of chicken and threw it on Kageyama’s plate. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kageyama frowned down at the chicken for a moment. He noticed Shouyou’s attention still glued to him, so he ate it as quickly as he could.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t think eating like that is good for your stomach, though,” Shouyou remarked, mostly to himself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh my God, just worry about yourself,” Kageyama groaned. He stuffed some rice into his mouth.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Geez, alright.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>As Nishinoya and Asahi cleared the table after the meal, Ennoshita, Narita, and Kinoshita pulled out a deck of cards around the coffee table.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What game are you guys going to play?” Shouyou asked, leaning over the couch. He wasn’t exactly sure if he wanted to commit to an after dinner game. The day had been long; his testing in the morning and the fight with Kageyama afternoon had wrung him dry.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kinoshita held up the deck in his hand, “rich man, poor man. You know how to play?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shouyou leaned further against the back of the couch until he could feel himself sliding down the cushions. As he let himself fall, his legs shot up behind him. He felt them make contact with something solid. A voice behind him let out a “oof.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shouyou twisted as best he could to see who he hit. To his dismay, Kageyama was standing close to the couch, right next to Shouyou’s slippered feet.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, sorry about that,” Shouyou apologized.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What, haven’t you kicked me enough today,” Kageyama asked. He grabbed both of Shouyou’s defenseless ankles and lifted them up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Kageyama, I swear to God, if you push me-” Shouyou worried about the innocent bystanders around the coffee table. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Registering the situation, Kageyama just threw Shouyou’s legs off to the side so he ended up lying halfway on and halfway off the couch. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Shouyou let out a sigh in relief. He scrambled to sit upright on the couch, and swiveled his head to look at Kageyama.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you going to play cards with us?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kageyama looked at the card game behind Shouyou and crossed his arms. “No, I’m not interested.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What,” Shouyou scoffed, “scared you’ll lose?” If there was anything Shouyou learned today, it was that Kageyama could be a bit of a hot-head. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“To you? You wish,” Kageyama shot back. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Then prove it!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ennoshita cleared his throat behind Shouyou, “either play or don’t but hurry it up.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll play!” Shouyou and Kageyama said in unison. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As they settled down next to each other at the coffee table, Kageyama asked Narita to switch seats with him. “He’s going to look at my cards if I don’t,” he explained.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey! You’re in a better position to cheat than me. I feel like I should be the one who’s worried. You look like you cheat at cards,” Shouyou yelled, but Narita had already decided to humor Kageyama. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Despite his best efforts to separate himself from Shouyou, Kageyama lost the round and became the poor man to Shouyou’s win. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Looks like I won, Kageyama,” Shouyou gloated. He held out his hands for Kageyama’s fresh hand of cards.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I still have plenty of rounds to kick your ass.” He handed his cards to Shouyou with fire in his blue eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sure thing.” Shouyou plucked out one of Kageyama’s kings and replaced it with one of his own threes. He handed Kageyama’s card back to him and gave him a generous smile. Shouyou played his remaining three card.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kageyama fanned out the cards he had placed in a meticulous rising order. After noticing the missing king, Kageyama said, “I’m going to kill you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I guess we’ll see,” Kinoshita kept the game going with his play.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>By the end of their card game, Kageyama had won three times. He spent most of the game as the rich man with Shouyou right behind him as the second place in those rounds. Ennoshita took the final round of the night, but Shouyou didn’t care.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Can we play one more,” he asked. “I really feel like I can win this one.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s what you’ve been saying for the last three rounds,” Kageyama taunted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I beat you once, I can do it again,”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It was fluke, admit it,” Kageyama challenged.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shouyou felt like punching him. He was good at this game, no matter what Kageyama said. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kageyama looked so smug and secure with the knowledge that he had won the most hands that night. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why don’t we-” Shouyou started, but Ennoshita interrupted him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’ve gotta call it a night, Tsukishima and Yamaguchi definitely aren’t coming home until tomorrow, at this rate.” Ennoshita gathered the cards together and snapped a rubber band over them as Kinoshita and Narita stretched. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Outside of the lounge, they all said goodnight to Ennoshita before hopping into the elevator. Every time Shouyou looked over at Kageyama’s perpetual frown, he found himself wanting to hit him. He was scared by his sudden burst of violent behavior. He thought that maybe it was all the social isolation catching up with him finally. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As he came to his door, Shouyou turned, “Goodnight, Kageyama.” He offered it like an olive branch.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good night dumbass, I hope you get better at cards,” Kageyama replied before closing his door.</span>
</p>
<p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>